Color Theory Definitions and Examples

Complementary

2 colors that are directly across from each other on the color wheel Example 1: Blue and Orange Example 2: Red-violet and yellow-green

Triadic

• 3 colors equal distance apart on color wheel • form a triangle. Example 1: red, yellow and blue Example 2: orange, violet, and green Example 3: red-violet, yellow-orange, blue-green Example 4: blue-violet, yellow-green, red-orange

Neutral

• These colors are not on the color wheel. • Adding a neutral color to another color will change its value Group includes: white, black, gray and brown

Monochromatic

• different values of a single color • tint / white added / lighter value • shade / black added / darker value Example 1: light blue, blue, dark blue Example 2: light green, green, dark green

Analogous

• group of colors side by side on the color wheel • share a color in common (neighbors) Example 1: Red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, yellow (all share color yellow) Example 2: red-violet, violet, blue-violet, blue (all share color blue)

Intermediate

• made by mixing a primary color with its neighboring secondary color. • name of the primary color always comes first Group includes: Yellow-green, yellow-orange, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange

Secondary

• mixed by combining 2 primary colors. • placement on the color wheel (between 2 primary colors) tells which colors can be used to mix it. Group includes: Green, violet and Orange

Cool

• the colors of sky and grass • on the right side of the color wheel. Group includes: yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue, blue-violet, violet, red-violet

Warm

• the colors of sun and fire • on the left half of the color wheel. Group includes: Yellow-green, yellow, yellow-orange, orange, red-orange, red, red-violet

Primary

• used to mix all of the other colors • cannot be made by the mixing of other colors. • equal distance apart on the color wheel. Group includes: Red, yellow and blue.